Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2023
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 5A
Meet the candidates
Peggy Langley
Mayor of Auburn
Rick Roquemore
1. What qualifies you to
serve on the city council/
mayor in Auburn?
I have been active in all
the council meetings, I know
how our other boards also
work as well and have attend
ed those meeting occasion
ally. I have worked close
ly with Mayor Blechinger
through the years. This has
given me knowledge in bud
gets, how government works
with other municipalities. I
have been present since day
one with the water project
which consist of a Auburn/
Winder Reservoir Partner
ship and then our own water
plant facility which will give
us better water quality so that
we can become independent
with our water source. We
worked to expand our sewer
capacity with Barrow Coun
ty. We need to find grants in
order to build the tennis com
plex that has been approved.
We purchased a building to
move public works to and
have already paid for the
building. We purchased the
property at Parks Mill Road
and now have 3 ballfields
built for our youth and older
children to play on which is
debt free.
2. How do you plan to
maintain ethical conduct
and accountability in your
role as a city council mem
ber?
I believe the City Of Au
burn already has transpar
ency with our employees. I
think we could probably all
do a better job a communi
cating with each other. I be
lieve the council needs to be
aware of any problems that
arise immediately in order
to be able to come up with a
solution.
3. What strategies do you
propose to promote eco
nomic growth and job cre
ation in our city?
I think looking for mom
and pop restaurants would be
a good place to start, along
with a coffee and sweet shop.
I would like to see businesses
that Auburn would support in
order to maintain them once
they make a decision to come
to them city. I was a part of
building Whistle Stop Shops
for entrepreneurs. I think
we need a common sense
approach when it comes to
bringing in businesses.
4. Are there specific areas
of the budget where you
believe resources should be
increased or decreased?
If there is anything that I
Peggy Langley
would add to the budget it
would more for our parks be
cause I have seen how much
Parks Park has be used since
it was built. I believe our spe
cial needs children also need
a place to play. We have al
ready approved a tennis and
pickle ball court facility at
Mary Carter that also needs
to be started and finished
with funds when available.
5. If your goal is to lower
property taxes in the city,
how would you go about it?
I would do as we have
done the passed 16 years and
help keep the city budget un
der control so that we can try
and keep millage rates the
same. We also need some
more businesses so that it
doesn’t all fall on the home-
owners.
1. What qualifies you to
serve on the city council/
mayor in Auburn?
I am qualified to be may
or because of my 33 years as
an Auburn citizen and my 42
years of retail management.
My experience gives me an
understanding of budgets, per
sonnel, and dealing with the
public and their concerns.
2. How do you plan to
maintain ethical conduct and
accountability in your role as
a city council member?
By conducting myself as I
do in my everyday life., and
seeking guidance from God in
all matters, I believe in treating
everyone with mutual respect
and understanding that Integ
rity is doing the right thing
even when no one is looking.
3. What strategies do you
propose to promote econom
ic growth and job creation in
our city?
Economic growth in our
city is challenging because of
how it is laid out. There are
many commercial lots, and the
way they are situated makes
it difficult for any significant
development, with Ingles hold
ing the city’s only real estate
of any considerable size. The
problem with most of the ar
eas off Highway 8 is that the
property is in residential areas,
and development in those loca
tions would be detrimental to
the residents’ property values
in that section of the city. We
cannot sacrifice the well-being
of our citizens for the sake of
“economic growth.”
4. Are there specific areas
of the budget where you be
lieve resources should be in
creased or decreased?
We need to put more re
sources into our infrastruc
ture, which is something that
has been lacking in our city
for years. I cannot remember
the last time there was a sig
nificant road improvement on
Apalachee Church Road, Mt
Moriah, Kilcrease, and Parks
Mill, which are major roads to
our city. With the way Auburn
is laid out, many of these roads
are shared with the county,
which will require the coop
eration of city and county of
ficials. With a TSPLOST on
the ballot in November and the
funds explicitly earmarked for
these projects, we must ensure
they are implemented as in
tended.
5. If your goal is to lower
property taxes in the city,
how would you go about it?
The millage rate has stayed
the same over the past 15
Rick Roquemore
years. However, property val
ues have increased, and the
county property assessments
have increased, thus causing
the resident’s taxes to increase.
One option would be for the
city to reduce the tax burden
on its citizens by reducing the
millage rate as the county as
sessments increase. The city
should look closer at the annu
al budget and reduce spending
where possible. This can only
be done by a joint effort of both
the mayor and the city council.
I propose getting the depart
ment heads to work with the
city officials on ways to cut
city expenses in their various
departments. While this may
not be possible, we elected of
ficials have a fiduciary respon
sibility to our taxpayers to try.
Auburn City Council
Bo Bland
Bo Bland
1. What qualifies you to
serve on the city council/
mayor in Auburn?
I have over 35 years of
contraction industry ex
perience. I started out as a
field technician and have
held a position as a VP for
a local fire alarm company,
but have settled into proj
ect management for the past
15 years. I am well versed
in managing a large work
force and multimillion dol
lar projects. This experience
gives me the tools needed to
work with council members,
Mayor and city administra
tion for the success of the
city.
2. How do you plan to
maintain ethical conduct
and accountability in your
role as a city council mem
ber?
The city has adopted a code
of ethics and A person is
only as good and their word
and actions. I am an open
book and I wear my heart
on my sleeve, so I am very
transparent and I have noth
ing to hide. If asked a ques
tion, I will give a straight
answer and will work open
ly to accomplish goals set-
forth by the council.
3. What strategies do you
propose to promote eco
nomic growth and job cre
ation in our city?
Mayor and council needs
to work together to seek out
retail and restaurants to dis
cuss the growth of Auburn
and the need for additional
resources. A real estate bro
ker that specializes in the
commercial arena should
be engaged to promote the
city. We should work with
surrounding governments
to not only promote Au
burn, but Barrow / Gwinnett
county.
4. Are there specific areas
of the budget where you
believe resources should
be increased or decreased?
As with any business, and
lets face it, the operation of
the city is a business, even
though it is a zero based
budget. The day to day ex
penses need to be monitored
and minimized to assure
the city maintains the bud
get that has been set. Long
terms goals / projects should
be managed to ensure they
come in on budget, ontime
and are successful. During
approval process of the bud
get the city administrator
meets with all department
heads to review the needs
and concerns to ensure this
will fit into the budget. If
there is an opportunity to
increase funds for roads, po
lice, public works and parks
and recreation I would sup
port this 100%.
5. If your goal is to lower
property taxes in the city,
how would you go about
it?
The opportunity to lower
taxes on city residents re
sides in the growth of the
commercial footprint of the
city. This goes hand-in-hand
with question # 4. With the
addition of new businesses,
this will increase the tax
revenue to the city. With this
increased revenue it may be
possible to lower the mill-
age rate for the residents. As
residents of Barrow county
our greatest tax burden are
County M&O and School
M&O. With the passage of
SPLOST we may be able to
work with the County to re
duce these taxes.
Jamie Bradley
1. What qualifies you to
serve on the city council/
mayor in Auburn?
As an incumbent on the city
council and having served 1
year and 3 months of my 18
months tenn, I have offered to
the Auburn citizens a fresh ap
proach through demonstrating
my ability in problem-solving
and being responsive to cit
izens, city staff and council/
mayor by asking questions
to better understand the inner
workings of the city, continu
ing to study the bylaws and
ordinances looking to see
needed updates, and attending
most of the Downtown Devel
opment Authority, Planning
and Zoning, and Parks and
Leisure monthly meetings to
stay updated working toward
being an even more effective
leader on the council.
2. How do you plan to
maintain ethical conduct
Considering
((TM*R) )) buying or
selling?
770-867-9026
www.maynardrealty.com
Jamie Bradley
and accountability in your
role as a city council mem
ber?
I have used these past 13
months in office and will
continue to use the acronym
WWJD... What Would Jack
Do? Jack Wilson is our city
attorney and I have and will
continue to seek his legal
guidance as a city official with
all city business decisions to
ensure I as a council member
am representing my office
with truth,transparency, and
integrity.
3. What strategies do you
propose to promote econom
ic growth and job creation in
our city?
As an incumbent council-
woman during the months
of May-August I served on
the steering committee to as
sist in updating the Auburn
Comprehensive Plan for the
years 2023-2028 along with
Auburn citizens, city staff,
and NEGRC staff. Through
the planning process it was
detennined Auburn’s small
town feel, being a bedroom
community, would best be
served economically through
small scale commercial uses.
These included; coffee shops,
cafes,upscale dining, small re
tail boutiques, specialty shops,
and shared-use or small office
spaces. Our Downtown De
velopment Authority is cur
rently in the planning stage
making these ideas turn into
reality.
4. Are there specific areas
of the budget where you be
lieve resources should be in
creased or decreased?
September 27, 2023
Crossword Answers
After being on council and
being directly involved with
passing two city budgets, my
first increase with councils
vote and along with grant
funding support would be
what the citizens OUTCRY
for; expanding our current
city parks with additions to in
clude picklebalhtennis courts,
an all- inclusive children’s
park, walkable pathways,
and finding the perfect loca
tion for a dog park facility. I
would encourage the coun
cil to systematically provide
more funding to ensure our
police are provided with up-
todate equipment to do their
jobs in the most efficient and
safe manner. Collaborate as a
councilwoman with Barrow
County to increase Auburn’s
share of LOST monies so Au
burn can improve their roads.
5. If your goal is to lower
property taxes in the city,
how would you go about it?
Continue as in years past
with the recommendation
from our city clerk with the
millage rate remaining the
same for Aubum/Barrow city
residents since 2008 and Au-
bum/Gwinnett city citizens
since 2013. Work diligently
with our city administrator
keeping a fiscally focused
budget while making neces
sary changes for reducing any
waste of revenue. Spurring
the growth of small entrepre
neurial type businesses for
our downtown revitalization
efforts. Since almost all of
Auburn’s revenue is from
residential properties, pursu
ing small business and office
development could add addi
tional revenue streams per the
latest Comprehensive Plan.
PUBLIC NOTICE
2024 BUDGET
FOR THE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
Notice is hereby given that a copy of the proposed 2024 Budget
for the Town of Bethlehem will be available for public review be
ginning on Monday, October 2, 2023, at the Bethlehem Town Hall
located at 750 Manger Avenue in Bethlehem, Georgia on regular
business days during regular business hours.
Notice is further given that the Town Council of Bethlehem will
hold a hearing at which the public will be heard on the proposed
2024 Budget during its regularly scheduled council meeting on
Monday, November 6, 2023, which begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Beth
lehem Town Hall located at 750 Manger Avenue in Bethlehem,
Georgia.
The adoption of the 2024 Budget will be considered by the Town
Council of Bethlehem at its regularly scheduled meeting on Mon
day, December 4,2023, which begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Bethlehem
Town Hall located at 750 Manger Avenue in Bethlehem, Georgia.